Worthwhile Travel Time: Design Challenges of Capturing the User Experience by Smartphone

According to conventional valuation methods, travel time is strictly a disutility and constitutes one of the largest costs associated with transport systems. This conventional view of Value of Travel Time (VTT) does not acknowledge the subjective dimension of the travel experience. A smartphone-based approach such as the one adopted in the MoTiV project has the potential to capture the subjective experience of travel time as worthwhile, neutral or wasted. This paper unpacks the design challenges related to the key steps involved in the collection of suitable data for assessing the travel time experience. The proposed approach contributes to a “behavioral” shift in VTT methods in which the traveler and her needs, preferences, expectations, and experiences take center stage. Through the Woorti app, the MoTiV project offers insights into how travelers value their travel time, in terms of the quality and characteristics they expect from their travel experience.